Inflated play horse



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

ATTO [ZNEYS July 23, 1963 G. a. GUZMAN INFLATED PLAY HORSE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 24, 1961 INVENTOR.

Georacss G- G'LJZMAN ATTOE EYS United States Patent Ofl ice 3,098,317.Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,317 INFLATED PLAY HORSE George G. Guzman,14 La Cadena St., Santa Barbara, Calif. Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No.154,631 2 Claims. (31. 4s-s7 This invention relates to a novel inflatedplay horse.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efficient,attractive, practical, realistic and injury-proof play horse of the kindindicated, which is designed to sim ul-ate the motions of a bronco horsewhen ridden and manipulated by a child, so as to afford the childbeneficial exercise and the development of coordination, while at thesame time affording absorbing entertainment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a play horse of thecharacter indicated above which comprises an inflatable hollow body offlexible and resilient rubber or rubber-like material, which can bedeflated for compact storage and shipment, and which, in its inflatedcondition, provides a non-skid relatively stationary base, flexible legssecured to the base capable of lateral and longitudinal flexing relativeto the base, a body supported on the legs capable of being compressedand gripped between the legs of the rider, a saddle which is providedwith a front pommel and a rear handle, and a front handle which islocated forwardly of the saddle and adapted to be, at times, gripped bythe rider, for manipulating the horse.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for p rposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a play horse of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional View taken onthe line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like nurnerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated play horsecomprises an elongated rectangular hollow base having a bottom wall 12,front and rear walls 14 and 16, respectively, side walls 18, and a topwall 20 which is parallel to the bottom wall. The walls of the base 10are preferably made of flexible and resilient rubber-like material, suchas extra heavy truck inner tube material, the bottom wall 12 beingsomewhat heavier than the other walls, and being formed on its undersurface with a grid 22 of non-skid or non-slip ridges. The edges of thebase, including its corners, are rounded, as indi cated at 24 and 26, inorder to enable the base to be rocked in any direction, upon asupporting surface, such as a floor.

Upstanding from and preferably integral with the top wall 20 of the base10, are laterally spaced tubular front and rear legs 28 and 30,respectively, which, as indicated at 32 and 34, respectively, are flaredat their lower ends and fared into the top wall 20, so as to providegreater strength and resistance to wear or deterioration at thesepoints, due to flexing of the legs relative to the base 10. As clearlyshown in FIGURE 3, the front legs 28 are preferably straight andperpendicular to the base 10, whereas the rear legs 30 have forwardlyand downwardly angled lower portions 36 and substantially perpendicularupper portions 38.

The legs 28 and 30 are flared, at their upper ends, as indicated at 40and 4-2 and preferably integrally fared into the bottom wall 44 and theside walls of a longitudinally elongated substantially circular crosssection hollow body 46. While the body 46 is herein shown as being thatof a horse, the present invention contemplates bodies of other animals.The body 46 is composed of substantially the same flexible and resilientmaterial as the base 10 and the legs. The bottom wall 44 of the body 46is here shown as somewhat downwardly and forwardly angled relative tothe base 10, whereas its top wall or body back 48 is substantiallyhorizontally disposed. The body 46 includes arcuate side walls 50 andhas a concave-convex rear wall or rump 52. A tail 54, made of flexiblesynthetic hairs, closely imitating genuine hair, is fixed to and extendsfrom an upper part of the rear wall 52.1and curves downwardly. The tail54 can be connected to the body, as by means of a stem 56 extendingthrough an opening 58 in the rear end wall, and having a lateral flange60 bearing against the inner surface of the rear wall, the stem 56 beingcemented or vulcanized to the rear wall, around the opening 58, asindicated at 62.

A hollow upwardly and forwardly angled neck 64 extends from the forwardend of the body 46 and is composed of extensions of the walls of thebody 46. The neck 64 terminates, at its forward end, in a verticallyelongated head 66, to an underpart of which is aflixed an eye 68,through which a bridle cord 70 is passed and adapted to be draped overthe neck 64. Extending along the neck as far as the forehead of thehead, is a realistic mane 71 of flexible synthetic hairs.

A longitudinally elongated forward bail handle 72 is affixed to the topwall 74 of the neck 64, and is preferably made of relatively inflexiblerubber. The forward handle 72 is spaced forwardly and upwardly from theforward end of a saddle 76.

The saddle 76 com-prises a blanket or bottom layer 78, of such asregular weight automobile inner tube material, which is affixed, as bycementing or vulcanizing to the body back 48 and side walls 50, anintermediate layer 80-, of such as heavy truck tube material, and a toplayer or saddle leather 82, of such as extra heavy truck inner tubematerial. Fixed or formed on the front end of the saddle leather 82 isan upwardly and forwardly angled pornmel 84 of realtively heavy and lessflexible rubber material. A rear transversely elongated bail handle 88is aflixed to and extends rearwardly from the elevated rear edge of arear saddle ridge 86, to be grasped by one hand of a rider mounting thehorse, while the other hand grasps the front handle 72. Either or bothof the handles and pommel is adapted to be grasped by the rider inmanipulating the play horse. An upstanding inflating and deflating valvestem 90 traverses and is fixed to the top wall 20 of the base 10, at acentral location between the front and rear legs of the horse.

In operation, a rider being astride of the body 46 and seated on thesaddle 76, can produce rocking and bucking motions of the body 46relative to the base, comparable to those of a bucking bronco horse,forwardly and rearwardly, or to either side, or in a combination ofthese directions, as well as rocking of the base, in any direction,relative to a supporting surface, by shifting his weight while grippingthe sides of the body 46 with his legs or by grasping the handles or thepornmel and pulling and pushing in the desired directions. In suchmanipulations of the body 46, the front and rear legs flex relative tothe body 46 and relative to the base, and distort either or both in sodoing, so that the ride is cushioned, rather than undesirably abrupt orrough so that danger of injurious spills or jars to the rider areeliminated.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as"being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An inflatable play riding horse comprising a fiat hollow base havinga top wall, a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of tubular rear legsrising from said top wall, a hollow body having a bottom Wall securedupon the upper ends of the legs, said base, said legs, and said bodybeing resilient and in communication with each other, the front legsbeing perpendicular to the base, said rear legs having perpendicularupper portions and forwardly and downwardly angled lower portionsreaching to the top wall of the base, and means for inflating the horse.

2. An inflatable play riding horse comprising a flat hollow base havinga top wall, a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of tubular rear legsrising from said top wall, a hollow body having a bottom wall securedupon the upper ends of the legs, said base, said legs, and said bodybeing resilient and in communication with each other, the

front legs being perpendicular to the base, said rear legs havingperpendicular upper portions and forwardly and downwardly angled lowerportions reaching to the top wall of the base, and means for inflatingthe horse, the front and rear legs being aligned with each othercrosswise of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES Playthings magazine, published October, 1958, page 88.

1. AN INFLATABLE PLAY RIDING HORSE COMPRISING A FLAT HOLLOW BASE HAVINGA TOP WALL, A PAIR OF TUBULAR FRONT LEGS AND A PAIR OF TUBULAR REAR LEGSRISING FROM SAID TOP WALL, A HOLLOW BODY HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SECUREDUPON THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LEGS, SAID BASE, SAID LEGS, AND SAID BODYBEING RESILIENT AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER, THE FRONT LEGSBEING PERPENDICULR TO THE BASE, SAID REAR LEGS HAVING PERPENDICULARUPPER PORTIONS AND FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY ANGLED LOWER PORTIONSREACHING THE TOP WALL OF THE BASE, AND MEANS FOR INFLATING THE HORSE.